National Republican., 1887-07-19
Ex-senator Warner Miller.

Ex-senator Warner Miller, who has been
some days at Saratoga, in an interview,
says:
Well, have always believed that the Pres-
dent would be renominated If he makes the
effort to be. lie has his party all over the
country pretty well in hand. How much he
has Injured himself by his recent rebel ilas
performances and by his letter to the st. Louis
veterans is an important question, though l
doubt II his party, strictly speaking. likes him
any the less for that.
After discussing the inability OF the
Democrats to agree upon any plan to re
duce the surplus Senator Miller continued
in answer to the question whether the Re-
publicans were united in their ideas as to
what should be done to reduce the surplus:
substantially they are. OF course there is
such n thing as free trade Republican, but
he is not numerous enough to affect his party's
action in the slightest degree. He can neither
prevent it nor modify 1t. Were the Republi
cans in power. the surplus question would be
settled in one session harmoniously and with
out disturbing the country's business one
iota,"
"what would their action be?"
"They would adopt the only feasible plan.
They would repeal the internal revenue tax
ON tobacco in whole, or substantially so. They
would reduce the tax OH sugar and place on
the free list all raw materials not produced In
this country. These, however, are few In
number. The free list is already tremendous,
much larger than most people suppose, for
about onethird of all the importatons como
In without paying duty. The figures for the
fiscal year of 1886 show that out Of 100000, 90
of importations s2l2, 600 600 came in on the
free list. These are chiefly raw materials, such
as rubber, silk, hides, spices, tea, coffee, and
tropical WOODS. 1t is possible in this way to
reduce the revenue about 5000, 600 q year,
which is quite sufficient, 1t is not safe nor de-
sirable for government to make its revenues
and expenditures balance, for If the business of
the country should have q setback importa-
tions would fall off heavily aud the govern
ment would soon flud itself with an insufficient
treasury. In our case II would be very bad
policy to reduce the revenue moro than s75.
000,00o, for We are about to undertake great
| work of navy improvement, OF coast defenses
| and Of river and harbor works, which for sew
eral years will largely increase our expendi-
| lures. If the Democratic plan OF looping of
| the tariff be carried out, the result would b.
| an awful financial disaster, and the object
| sought of revenue reduction would not be
| achieved at all. There would, On the cor'
trary, be an immediate increase of rev.
| enue. All experience shows this. The
| effect upon certain iron and steel i'm.
portations of reduction OF duty is u nota
BILE example of what would surely hap.
pen. The American manufactures of that clas
were driven to the wall, and purchasers al
sought the cheaper foreign market. Imporis'
tions increased tremendously and the revenue
from them, though based on lower tariff
swelled to much heavier figure than before
If the tariff generally were reduced 25 PEE
cent. the revenue would Increase at least l0t
per cent, business would be prostrated, mill
would be closed. the balance of trade woult
promptly go against u.s. and we should hav,
to send abroad large shipments of gold Il
| make good our exchanges"